5 November 2012

artDEGO

You had to be there. There’s no way my words can do justice to the brilliant picture that was painted on Gather & Hunt’s blank canvas in the Nathan Club at the artDEGO last night. Provocative and pretty, sensory and spectacular, colourful and clever, and above all, delightfully delicious.

Traditional chefs, mainstream artists, conventional event managers, I have a message for you all - Move Over! Quickly! The fun and new direction for Auckland food starts here with this energetic team.

Dominique and Courteney run the Tasting Club as part of their terrific Gather& Hunt website. Last night, as part of Auckland Art Week, they harnessed the talent of Mink Boyce to bring five dishes from fine young gun chefs together with five young gun artists. Each course was a collaborative between the pairs, and each was an experience to behold.

Even before we were seated, the fun began. Two different cocktails from mixologist Cam Timmins of Mea Culpa were served with finger food from Ed Verner of Sidart. Playing on the art theme, he’d created broad brushstrokes of colour and taste on a charcoal palette, and we swept a cacophony of flavour into our mouths. And a trick; it looked like an oyster in a shell, but it was a shell fashioned from rice flour (I guess) filled with jelly, wasabi and more. Sensational and that almost stole the show of the night for me.

The artists’ works were on display around the room for one night only, providing the inspiration for the food. The opening dish was sensational. Nick Honeyman (The Commons) set our places with a small artist’s palette, brush, a paint tube of dressing and a wee plastic bottle of turpentine (turned out to be our wine to drink) to accompany his spring Ora King salmon and coconut pannacotta entrée. Inspired by artist John Dwyer.

Then Stephen Smith (Tin Soldier) co-operating with Tiffany Singh and her colourful works, sent out a dainty little decorated cup for the Warkworth clover honey mead that accompanied his brilliant platter of carrot, almond, chilli and turmeric, all set on a wax dipped puka leaf. “Most amazing carrots I’ve ever eaten,” said one connoisseur at our table.

Mark Southon (The Foodstore) was inspired by Liam Gerrard’s graphic charcoal drawing of a pig’s head and served “this little piggy went fishing” with a surf and turf combo of pig’s cheek, John Dory, squid crisps and caviar butter. (Yum, yum, pig’s ***, I thought.) The Pyramid Valley Rose Savagnin was delicious too.

Both Elliot Collins (a handle-bar moustachioed artist) and Hayden McMillan (Tribeca) worked so hard on their course. The meltingly tender masterstock glazed beef shortribs were cloaked in a lovely prawn blanket, perched on a board Collins had painted with random adjectives. Mine; ‘Absurd & Chivalrous’, my husband; ‘Mundane & Ominous’ and the divine Ms Emerald Gilmour; ‘Avid & Odious.’ Appropriate? Maybe, but at least this got everyone at the table talking about the art!

The finale was the crescendo. Brian Campbell (due to open a dessert bar in Britomart) emulated Alex Bartleet’s textural work with a construction of chocolate and raspberry. Everyone was silent as we devoured what must be the ultimately perfect combination of flavours.

We were entertained by Courtney Sina Meredith and there’s so much more to tell. Most importantly, you should have been there!